Paper wallpaper is one of the most popular wall covering materials on the market. It is environmentally friendly and suitable for any room, from the living room to the nursery or bedroom. But can liquid wallpaper compete with them? Let’s figure out which wallpaper is better – liquid or paper, by comparing these two finishing materials.

Features of Coatings

Paper wallpapers are classic roll coatings. They are usually thin, so during the gluing process, non-professionals may encounter difficulties. Liquid wallpapers, on the other hand, are a dry mixture of cellulose, textile fibers (artificial silk), and CMC glue. The mixture is mixed with water, resulting in a plastic mass that is applied like plaster.

Advantages of Liquid Wallpaper

Why is wall decoration with liquid wallpaper better in some cases than using standard paper canvases? Here are the main reasons:

• Liquid wallpapers are easier to apply: you don’t have to match the pattern, make sure there are no air bubbles under the canvas, or glue a suddenly torn thin paper;
• Such a coating retains its original texture and is very pleasant to the touch;
• It creates a dense heat and sound insulating layer, while under paper wallpaper, all surface imperfections are visible;
• Liquid wallpaper is applied without seams even on curved surfaces, arches, or ceilings: you don’t have to worry about the seams of thin canvases diverging;
• Decorative plaster based on cellulose and silk is completely repairable. If any part of the wall gets dirty, you can moisten it and scrub it off, applying a fresh coating to the wall. This option is impossible with paper wallpaper;
• Liquid wallpaper can be used even in south-facing rooms: they have high color fastness and do not fade in the sun, as the color is added to them by mass-dyed textile fibers, not an added pigment;
• Liquid wallpapers are plastic and therefore not afraid of changes in temperature and humidity. They can also be used in unheated rooms.

The only nuance that needs to be considered when working with liquid wallpaper is the need to prepare the base. For example, many people wonder if liquid wallpaper can be applied to paper ones. So, you can’t do that. Liquid wallpaper can only be applied to a clean and dry surface that has been puttied and primed. Otherwise, reliable fixation of the coating cannot be guaranteed. If you apply silk plaster over an already made paper finish, the entire coating will peel off the wall.

So, which wallpaper to choose – liquid or paper, you can decide by familiarizing yourself with their features.